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The Three Rivers softball team doesn't have blinding speed, it is more of a slapping variety.
The Lady Raiders have four slap-bunters on the roster they can place throughout the lineup, giving them a good chance to get runners on base. Freshmen Sarah Ruff, Stefanie Ferguson, Laura Tucker and sophomore Kaci Menz can all put the ball down close to the foul line. They will need those abilities when they open their season Thursday at Dyersburg State.
"A lot of times, you can completely manufacture a run," Three Rivers coach Jack Childress said. "We need that person that can consistently get a up the middle or in the gap."
The middle of the lineup will have to come through in the RBI department.
"As far as people that can drove in runs, we have (Jaclyn) Blake and (Cortney) Ostendorf and Kasey Reed," Childress said. "Whenever (Reed) hits it, it is hard."
As far as the pitchers, Chelsea Claypole and Brittany Holoien are sophomores that return from last year's squad and freshman Ashley Watkins and Kara Harper should make an immediate impact. Harper has a variety of pitches to throw at the opponents.
"She has a fastball, changeup and a curve-drop that is slower than the changeup," Childress said. "Her biggest problem is she doesn't need to get her fastball up in the zone."
Watkins will be in solid shape for the Lady Raiders as she is just finishing up the basketball season as a forward.
"She has just a mean drop pitch that a lot of people can't hit, they just beat it into the ground," Childress said. "She comes at you with those long legs and arms, she'll do a good job."
Gone from last year's team are the bats of Maegan Booker and Leslie Taylor, who was also a vocal leader in the dugout.
"I think as far as the sophomores go, Blake (is a leader) probably as much as anybody," Childress said. "She has really turned a corner. In the fall she really stepped up, she was the best receiver and called a great game."
Childress likes the team's chances in Region XVI.
"The big gun of course is Crowder in the region," Childress said. "We probably have a better chance this year than we have had in several years."
The Lady Roughriders knocked the Lady Raiders out of the region tournament last season.
"They are going to be hard to handle," Childress said. "We just want to be able to stay in there with them and get it done, I think we can."
The Lady Raiders are anxious to get started the season after spending much of the preseason inside.
"This stuff in the gym is driving us up a wall," Childress said. "Until you get out there and start playing, you don't exactly know how you are going to be."
Jordan Fowler (Twin Rivers) has helped Shawnee Community College to a 2-0 start to their baseball season with a sweep of Williams Baptist. Fowler, a freshman outfielder for the Saints, had three hits in the first game of a doubleheader an 11-4 win.
Matt Rogers (Doniphan), now in his junior season at Southwest Baptist, got MIAA Men's Athlete of the week honors this week, his fifth of the season. Rogers is averaging 18.9 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per contest. He has 111 blocks on the season.
Michael Lance (Twin Rivers), a junior at Arkansas State, missed the last two games after being diagnosed with mononucleosis. He has started five games and is averaging 5.3 points as the team's top 3-point shooter this season but may not be available when the Red Wolves (13-15) face Middle Tennessee in the opening round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament on Wednesday.